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| A photo of NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell, Copyright Agency Sponsors and I at the presentation ceremony
When students learn from a perspective they relate to in an environment
that allows them to express themselves creatively, they engage with the content
on a deeper, richer and more meaningful level. In the report to the Chief
Scientist to Australia, Health of
Australian Science, Dr Michael Hughes emphasised how crucial those who are
able to think creatively and innovatively from different perspectives are to
the success of Scientific research and industry in Australia. Teachers need to
be providing their students with the skills and learning experiences that will
nurture creative and innovative thinking.
It is crucial for students and Scientists alike to be able to consider
Scientific knowledge from a variety of cultures and ways of knowing. The NSW
Board of Studies Syllabus Science syllabus mandates the teaching of Indigenous
perspectives, in accordance with the Australian Curriculum, which lists
Indigenous History and Culture as a Priority. However, in two studies I
recently completed as part of my Masters in Education, secondary school science
teachers from across Australia identified Indigenous perspectives as an area
they felt they needed an increase in resources and support. When this survey
was extended to an interview it was found that some science teachers were not
even aware of the need to teach Indigenous perspectives through the science
curriculum and if they did recognise this mandatory cross-curriculum
perspective, many were not confident or competent in delivering Science from an
Indigenous perspective. By empowering teachers with a knowledge base they will
have the ability to be more creative in their teaching approach, which will in
turn provide students with the skills to develop creative responses to
innovative open-ended material and which will ultimately also become the
knowledge base for another group. By promoting a innovative atmosphere students
are able to learn in a way that is meaningful and allows them to express their
knowledge and understanding in the creative ways that they are comfortable
with.
Indigenous perspectives can be taught through a range of topics in
Science and I feel that programs that would actively inspire innovation and
creativity among students would be those that are largely open-ended. I am
seeking resources and knowledge to support programs that take students on a
journey. One such example would be a journey to seek Ochre, to undertake this
expedition students will need to develop a method for reading the geography of the
region and for finding their way. They are to do this through both Indigenous
and Western ways of knowing. They will need to identify water and food sources
and appreciate and understand what medicines they may need to use or access on
this journey. What will be the means of communication during this journey and
how would the weight of the pack of a Western traveller differ to that of
someone with Indigenous Perspective? In seeking resources I want to find out
how painting, dance and story telling act as a vessel for information sharing
in Science. In order to develop these types of open-ended programs to promote
innovation and creativity among students across Australia I need to access key
knowledge and understanding from experts within these key cultural areas as
well as accessing advice from experts in the field of Indigenous education.
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